A discussion on fostering development near Metro stations quickly turned into a pointed — and, officials hope, constructive — indictment of Prince George’s County’s planning and zoning process. The meeting was a response to a pair of bills that would have allowed developers to fast-track the development process for projects within a half-mile of Metro or Maryland Transit Authority stations. The bills were tabled after criticism that they would allow such projects to bypass public hearings. Many speakers said the public hearing process is not what slows projects down. Cheryl Cort, policy director for the Coalition for Smarter Growth, called the development process a “labyrinth.”
Category: News
Zoning Commission Chairman: No One Bikes to the Grocery Store
Responding to the notion that people in the transit-friendly area could get around by means other than a car, Zoning Commission Chairman Anthony Hood said that no one rides a bike to the grocery store.
HOT Express Lanes On 495 Set To Open Nov. 17
The operators of the 495 Express Lanes have set Saturday, Nov. 17 — five days before Thanksgiving — as opening day. The two new lanes in each direction spanning 14 miles between the Springfield interchange and the Dulles Toll Road will be E-ZPass only.
Passionate testimony fills 4-hour Housing Task Force hearing
Individual tenants and representatives of large organizations alike spoke about their experiences with District housing policy at a hearing on Monday. Those testifying overwhelmingly reflected the need for more affordable housing. Cheryl Cort, from the Coalition for Smarter Growth, argued for better use of public lands for affordable housing.
FABB Hosts First Ever Bike Summit at GMU Saturday
The first ever Fairfax Bike Summit is open to the public at George Mason University Saturday. “This event will be a powerful opportunity to learn from each other. Our goal is to build a coalition of local residents and work toward a bike future where people of all ages and abilities are comfortable riding on the streets,” said Bruce Wright…
Video: Apartments and Condos Fueling Construction Boom in DC
Housing developers all across the country are feeling confident, especially about
the future of building apartments and condos. And one place that’s really
booming—the nation’s capital. Sylvia Hall sits down with CSG policy director Cheryl Cort to talk about the D.C. housing market.
Board approves financing for U.S. 460 toll-road project
The Commonwealth Transportation Board approved the financing arrangements Wednesday to make the $1.4 billion U.S. 460 toll-road project a reality. The state anticipates finalizing the deal with US 460 Mobility Partners, the project’s design-build consortium, in December, officials told the state Transportation Board.
Board greenlights $900M-plus for stretch of U.S. 460
A state transportation board on Wednesday approved the use of more than $900 million in public bonds for a new, tolled highway out of Hampton Roads.
GMU Report Flawed; Would Lead Region Down Unsustainable Path
Using funding from developers with significant interests in land in outer suburban locations, researchers at George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis have issued a new report arguing for massive investment in highway infrastructure. Experts at the Coalition for Smarter Growth disagree.
Coalition for Smarter Growth Releases Report on D.C. Public Land Use for Affordable Housing
Today, the Coalition for Smarter Growth released a new report on public land redevelopment in Washington, D.C., entitled Public Land for Public Good: Making the Most of City Land to Meet Affordable Housing Needs.